The invention relates to a plate belt conveyor for steep conveying comprising mutually overlapping plates which are disposed on flat link chains. The pitch of the plates corresponds to the chain pitch, wherein the plates in the overlapping region are provided at one end of their transverse edges with an upward directed leg and at the other end with a roof-like arch which spans the upward directed leg. A steep downward directed leg extends from the roof like arch. The downward directed leg together with the roof-shaped arch and the upward directed leg form a pocket which opens in the reversal of the conveyor. With a parallel arrangement of the plates, the lower end of the downward directed leg of the plate lying therebelow lies opposite in a sealing manner maintaining at most a slight spacing.
An apron conveyor or plate belt conveyor constructed as a short cell belt with contactless overlapping of the plates is known from German Patent No. DE-OS 2,113,023. The plate is made planar in the rear lower overlapping region in the conveying direction. In particular, when the conveyor is ascending steeply with the known plate belt conveyor, a disadvantage arises because the plate belt does not have the necessary sealing properties. With steeply rising conveying, the material to be conveyed tends to move through the slot of greater or lesser magnitude present between the lower edge of the downward directed leg and the plate bottom of the following plate disposed therebelow. However, if material does pass through, the slot is retained by the upward directed leg of the rear plate end. When the plate belt now reaches the upper reversal station, the leading plate is bent at the chain wheel and as a result the plates lift off each other in the overlapping region and the pocket formed in the overlapping region is opened. Since, however, the opening of the pocket is effected at an instant at which the discharge of the belt has not yet taken place, and the plates still have a great inclination, it necessarily follows that on opening, the pocket material can shoot into the pocket and then necessarily slides downwardly and can partly shoot over the upward directed leg which leads to an undesirable soiling and wear of the apparatus.
In a further known design of a plate belt conveyor, the upward directed leg of the rearward disposed plate end has extending thereover a roof-like arch which extends concentrically to the chain fulcrum. The front end of the plates have a parallel arrangement and lies sealingly on the neighboring plate. In this case as well, on passing over the upper chain wheel, the pocket formed in the overlapping region opens so that, with ascending conveying, material can shoot into the pocket. Part of the material will pass through the slot present between the upward directed leg and the roof-shaped arch. On further opening of the pocket, the material which has penetrated into the pocket is again pushed forward and is partly drawn into the slot. This again results in an undesirably high wear and soiling.
French reference FR-PS No. 1,090,987 discloses a plate belt conveyor in which the associated plate ends are disposed concentrically about the chain fulcrum. The concentric overlapping regions enclose between them a space which is open in the conveying direction and with acsending conveying will necessarily fill with material. On bending of the leading plate, due to the sealing strip disposed at the rearward end of each plate, the material will at least partially again be pushed out of the overlapping region. However, this leads to a very pronounced wear.